is BA cut out for China

This morning I can SEE this plane, but it will not be cleared for departure until 17:35 (11 hrs. from when we arrived today).

While I thank them for the hotel, British Air was really quite awful managing the delay. Almost no communication from BA-- the staff look beleaguered and I feel for them some, but the passengers look worse.

The conjecture is that the very thin BA staff (8 people? ).... has zippo yank in Shanghai. The Brits seem to be put last in line for just about everything. Including De-Icing which was the final nail in the coffin yesterday.

200 some people have put up with a lot of waiting and almost no communication. There wasn't a BA person to be found when questions came up. Think of the 50 odd pissed off first and business class travelers who pay huge money to ride up front. By the looks of it many won’t fly BA again, or at least not without trying to book someone else.

Im fine with handling delays and all that-- travel is often bumpy and inconvenient-- but in the semi-final anaysis (we're still not leaving) this crowd is getting angrier and angrier and no one from BA seems aware... BA should learn how to do business in Shanghai, or they should close down the meager operation they offer.

Lessons from Shanghai

1. pack less.
2. chinese feels like talking with my tongue anesthetized
3. eat more.
4. it’s ok to be served a fork and spoon. but better to be complimented on your ambidextrous chopstick skills
5. beverages can be as interesting as the meals
6. many chinese women are strikingly beautiful
7. learning to negotiate on inexpensive things first is important
7a. once comfortable get used to ‘best price, best price’ and divide by 5
7b. shopping takes a long time 50% looking, 50% negotiating
7c. leave. leave if the price is wrong. leave if you think you got hosed. leave if you didn’t reduce the price dramatically. leave if they’re happy. leave to see if the price will drop as you walk. leave. it’s not Macy’s.
7d. don’t ever --EVER-- buy anything common without pricing it in several stores. Context is the only guide, as prices start all over .
8. at a party don’t drink unless your being toasted or you’re toasting
8a. cheers is western for wussy sips and kam pai is Japanese for man chug (at least in china...)
9. karaoke isn’t karaoke even though there’s a lot of singing
10. don’t tip. bribe.
11. if you’re with a young chinese girl people will think you’re paying her
12. and that’s ok
13. traffic is a problem
14. spitting small bones onto the plate without aid of hands is appropriate
15. there is no heat in offices or restaurants and people will wear heavy jackets and hats indoors
16. it’s more expensive than new york. it’s more expansive than LA
17. eating/writing with the left hand makes you ‘clever’. the devil is also considered ‘clever’.
18. fitting in is easy to a point, but seems impossible to do completely
19. offer business cards with two hands and bow, accept card with two hands and stare at it for a minute before pocketing
20. shanghai modern architecture is generally boring
23. a car company named Chery is the #1 car co. by volume.
24. the outlets will often accept western plugs without a converter
25. shanghai is a truly a terrific city